Shank-stiffener machine



July 20 1926.

W. H. NICKERSON SHANK STIFFENER MACHINE 4Filed July 9. 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet l l ne W. H. NICKERSON SHANK STIFFENER MACHINE July zo, 1926.

Filed July 9. 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet E Patented July 20, 1926.

UNITED STATES WILLIAM H. NICKERSGN, F BROOKLNE, MASSACHUSETTS.

SHANK-STFFENER MACHINE.

Application filed July 9, 1925.

This invention relates to mechanism for forming shoe-shank stiifeners from a strip of sheet metal of indeterminate length.

The invention is embodied in the improvements' hereinafter described.

Of the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification,-

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the fixed base portion of my improved mechanism and the parts carried thereby.

Figure 2 is a section on the plane of line' 2-2 of Figure 1, showing in section the reiprocating head and the parts carried there- Figure 3 is a bottom plan view of the head and the parts carried thereby.

Figure 4 is a section on line 4-4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 ure 2.

4Figure (i is an isometric view, showing the reciprocating and fixed punch dies, the bending block and the presser hereinafter described, and a portion of a strip which has been acted on by said parts.

vFigure 7 shows a horizontal section of the reciprocating punch dies, and by dotted lines a portion of the strip.

Figure 8 is a perspective view of a stiifener formed by my improved mechanism.

Figure 9 is a fragmentary perspective view, showing the reciprocatingpunch die.

Figure 10 is a fragmentary perspective view', showing the fixed punch die.

Figure 11 is a section online 11-11 of Figure 9.

Figure 12 is a section on line 12M-12 of Figure 10. e

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all of the figures.

12 designates a base fixed to a press bed '13. and secured thereto by screws 11 (Figure 4). Fixed by screws 14 (Figure 2) to the base plate is a lower forming die 15, having a curved longitudinal embossing rib 16, and curved forming faces 17, at oppo site sides of the rib. 18 designates a mov-v able upper forming die, having a curved longitudinal groove 19, and curved forming faces 20, at opposite sides of the groove. The upper die is fixed by screws 21 to a head 22, which is secured by screws 23 to a vertically reciprocating member 24 of a press. The forming elements 16 and 17 of the lower die have a reentrant curvature, and the ele- .fments -19 and 20 ofthe upper devhave a is a section on line 5-5 of Fig- Serial No. 42,454.

salient curvature, the dies being adapted to form, on a sheet metal strip interposed between them, the curved portion having the curved rib 25, and the lateral flanges 26 shown by Figure 8. The dies and 18 have fiat end faces, which contact with portions of the strip, so that the fiat tab-forming portions 27 are left on the strip from which the prongs 28 and tabs 29 are formed by punching and bending dies, as hereinafter described.

The strip is fed into the machine in the direction of arrow (Figure 2), and is held at rest while the portions 25, 26 and 27 are being formed by the forming dies. rllhe base 12 and thehead 22 are elongated, as shown by Figures 1, 2 and 3, toproject from the forming dies and provide a space for the reception of grippers 3() and 31, adapted to grip the portion of a strip which has been formed by the dies 15 and 18, and moved .lengthwise from between said dies.

The lower gripper' 30 is provided with a rib 32 (Figure 1), adapted to enter the strip rib 25, and the upper gripper 31 is provided with a groove 33 (Figure 3) adapted to receive the strip rib. The lower gripper is vertically movable, and is yieldingly supported in the position shown by Figure 2, by springs 34 surrounding headed studs 35, whose heads are movable in sockets 3G, in the base 12, and are limited in their upward inovementby shoulders at the upper ends of the sockets. The portion of the head 22, projecting from the upper forming die 18, is provided with guides 38, in which. steady pins 39, fixed to the upper gripper 31, are vertically movable. The gripper 31 is pressed downward by a spring 40, surrounding a headed stud 41, fixed vto the gripper, the head of the stud being movable in a socket 42 in the head 22, and limited in its downward movement by a shoulder at the lower end of the socket.

The forming dies and the grippers are ai ranged in tandem Vorder and are spaced apart to permit. the interposition of the tab-forniing portion of the strip between the dies and the grippers. Between the dies and grippers are located the punch dies and their adjuncts next' described, for forming the prongs 28 and the oblique edges of the tabs 29. To the head 22 is fixed a block 44 (Figures 2, 5 and 6) having two downwardly projecting punch die sections 45 (Figures 9 and 1,1) Each section 45 has twoend faces 16, 'Forming 'a reentrant angle, their lower ends'intersecting' the bottom faces ot the tions to forni angular reentrant cntti edges et? (Figure 9). Vtothe base l2 is linee a block t8 containingr openings Si (Figures 10 and l2). rlhe block is provided between the openings with a bar portion e8 havi, vertical faces which intersect the top face of the bar portion to form salient cutting` edges 50. The side walls et the openings lr-9 have recesses 5l. A flat portion ot the strip bears on the bar portion 48 of 'the bed bl el; ttl and is in the path et the 'moving punch die sections -l-. TWhen said sections descend, theiiI reentrant edges 47 cooperate with the salient edges 50 in forn'iing the prongs d, and bending the prongs downward into the recesses 5l 'as shown bj; Figure 5, The head 22 is provided with a presser which is hexagonal in cross section, and is located between the reciprocatingi die sections #i5 an'l normall)7 projected below said sections by 'i spring; 54. to an extent determined b3' the bearing` of a head 55 on the presser, on a shoulder at the lower end oi'i a socket 5G {Figure} containing the spring' and head. The presser clamps the flat tab-'forming portion or' the strip iirnily against the upper end of the cross bar 48, while the cutting` edges 47 and 50 are forming the prongs.

At the beginning' of the operation, the strip is inserted v'until its advancing'end projects between the punch dies, but does not project between the `Qjripiiers. The ma chine is then operated to'oanse the tormetion oi the first curved portion bv the torminnr dies, and a pair ot prongs at the leadirulj end oit the strip, there being a short surplus end on the strip which is subsequently removed by the shearing' cutters hereinafter described.

The presser 53 cooperates with the 'fined bar portion hl in confining the strip until the prongs have been termed. lllheu the head 22 rises, the strip is ted forward until the termed portion is between the grippex's 30 and ill, and the fiat leading' end portion of' the strip is between a movable she:,1. riunT cutter 58 (Figure lined te the head 22, and a lined shearing,r cutter 5i' fixed to the bed plate 12.

The strip is raised troni the lower torniing die 15 when the hea( 22 rises b v a 'lifting' pin 58 movable in a socket in rthe block 1lb?, and a pair of lii'ting' pins ,iovable in sockets in the lower forming die l5, said pins bearing` on the under side of: the strip and being pressed upwardly by springs (it), their upward mo'ven'ient being limited by vthe contact 'of heads on their lower ends with shoulders at the upper ends of the sockets.

The strip is Ated intermittently into the .inaehinewby .feed rolls 6l shown bj. 'dotte''v liu s in Figur '9, the'rolls'being vact-nyated by abile inech'a. 'sin (notshown)` to feed the nter-posed tlfi'rebe strip a distance equal to the length of a completed stillener when the head Q2 is raised, and reniaininfg,- at rest during the punching` and 'forming operations.

After the lirst curved portion has been iormedby the-forming dies, and moved orward and grasped by the Q;rippers, the next curved portion :is formed.

The next feeding` movement causes the leading' end portion or" the strip to project from the `rear end of the machine, said portion now requiring' onlyv severance trom the strip to convert it into a complete shank stiiiener.

r'he strip is now so positionedthat the shearing; cutters sever it on the line r 'u (Figure 7), a completed stillener formed as shown by l'inure 8 beingfthus produced.

To prevent edf' wise displacement of the strip in its passahe through 'the machine, l 'irovid'e 'edge guides composed ot plates 6?), having' slots 64, slightfliT wider than the strip and arranged so that their edges prevent edgewise movement ,ol'` the strip vtrom its predetermined path. There are preferably three of 'these plates, one Alocated at the receivine` end, another at the delivering' end, and the third midway between said ends, as shown by Figure 2, the plates being' secured to lined parts oiV the machine.

It will `be seen that the lfixed vdie block @L8 and the reciprocating die block elet constitute elements of a pronging mechanism adapted to siniultaneousl)Tv cut two spaced apart pairs of oblique slits extending' iny'ard 'from the opposite edges or' a flat tabforming` portion 2T o't the strip, and thereby torni the inner edges of two pairs ot prongs located at opposite edgesott the tab- ;torming portion and to simultaneousliv bend the prongs to their operative positions, 'the bases `otthe prongs being spaced apart so that when the tab-forming portion `is transversel),7 severed Vat /U r, tabs 2t) are Atermed which project outward from the prongs.

The cutting edges which slit the strip to partially sever the prongs therefrom, are arranged to impart a tach-like form to the prongs enabling` the sinne to vbe easilj7 driven, each prong being very narrow vat its base portion and taperingl therefrom Ato its point.

The strip lifting pins andthe strip edge guides may be employed in a machine which does not include the grippers BO and 3l, as shown by my (3o-pending` v"application se mi No. 42,455, med Jury e.' 1.925.

l claim:

l. A shank stili-ener machine comprising a tired base; reciprocating head niovabl'e toward and Jfrom the base: a pair of formdies including a lower vdie 'fixed `to the `base Yand an upper die fixed 'to the head, said s being 'lorinetflto 'longitudinally ourfve'and loss "a por of "en 11g-ated stri-p tween, 'a fpan? of lyleltillng die llO

Iii)

grippers including a. lower gripper yieldingly connected with the base and an upper gripper yieldingly connected with the head. said grippers being formed to grip aformed strip portion; the forming dies and gripper-s being spaced apart to permit the interposition of' a tab-forming portion of the strip therebetween; pronging mechanism interposed between the forming and gripping dies, said mechanism including means for simultaneously cutting two spaced apart pairs of oblique slits extending inward from the opposite edges of' the tab-forming portion of the strip, and thereby forming the inner Vedges of two pairs of prongs located at opposite edges of said tab forming' portion, and means for simultaneously bending the prongs to their operative positions; and cutters adapted to transversely sever the tab forming portion and convert the same into two tabs projecting outward from the prongs.

2. A shank stifi'ener machine comprising a fixed base, a reciprocating head movable toward and from the base; a pair of forming dies including a lower die fixed to the base and an upper die fixed to the head; said dies being formed to longitudinally curve and emboss a portion of an elongated strip interposed therebetween; a pair of yielding grippers including a lower gripper yieldingly connected with the base and an upper gripper yieldingly connected with the head, said grippers being formed to grip a strip portion formed by the forming dies, the forming dies and grippers being spaced apart to permit the interposition of a tab-forming portion of the strip therebetween; pronging mechanism interposed between the forming dies and the grippers, arranged to act on said tab-forming portion; said mechanism including a reciprocating die block fixed to the head and provided with a pair of punch die sections having reentrant cutting edges, and a die block fixed to the base and provided with openings formed to receive the reciprocating sections and with a bar portion having salient cutting edges cooperating with the reentrya-nt edges of the reciprocating sections, said openings having recesses formed to cooperate with the reciprocating sections in simultaneously bending two pairs of prongs from the tab-forming portion of the strip.

3. A shank stiffener machine comprising a fixed base; a reciprocating head movable toward and from the base; a pair of forming dies including a lower die fixed to the base and an upper die fixed to the head, said dies being formedto longitudinally curve and einboss a portion of an elongated strip interposed therebetween; a pair of yielding grippers including a lower gripper yieldingly connected with the base and an upper gripper yieldingly connected with the head, said grippers being formed to grip a strip portion formed by the forming dies; the forming dies and grippers being spaced apart to permit the interposition of a tabf'orming portion of the `strip therebetween; pronging mechanism interposed between the forming dies and the grippers, and arranged to act on said tab-forming portion, said mechanism including a reciprocating die block fixed to the head and provided with a pair of punch die sections having reentrant cutting edges, and a die block fixed to the base and provided with openings formed to receive the reciprocating sections and with a. bar portion having salient cutting edges cooperating with the reentrant edges of the reciprocating sections, said openings having recesses formed to cooperate with the reciprocating sections in simultaneously bending two pairs of prongs from the tabforming portion of the strip; and a springactuated presser movably supported by the head and adapted to clamp the tab-forming portion of the strip against the bar portion of the fixed die block.

AI. A shank-stiffener machine comprising a fixed base; a reciprocating head movable toward and from the base; a pair of forming dies including a lower die fixed to the base and an upper die fixed to the head, said dies being formed tol longitudinally curve and emboss a portion of an elongated strip interposed therebetween; pronging mechanism at the inner end ofthe forming dies, said mechanism including means for cutting the strip to form the inner edges of a plurality of prongs, in opposite edges of the strip, and means for bending said prongs downward from the strip; spring-pressed lifting pins bearing on the under side of the strip at opposite sides of the pronging mechanism and adapted to lift the prongs from the bending means of said mechanism; and permit a feed movement of the strip, and a plurality of' fixed edge guides contacting with the opposite edges of the strip to prevent edgewise displacement of the latter, one of said guides being located at the forward end oi the fixed forming die, and another between the inner end of the fixed forming die and the pronging mechanism.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature.

WILLIAM H, NIGKERSON, 

